Commenting on Water UK’s apology on behalf of the water industry, and steps announced by water and sewage companies to invest in storm overflows to reduce spills into rivers and seas, Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said:
“The water and sewage sector is in listening mode and has provided a promising plan to tackle poor water quality and take vital steps to improve the country’s ageing sewerage infrastructure. The scale of investment now proposed is very welcome, albeit long overdue: it is an encouraging step in the right direction. I hope that Ofwat will approve this material increase in the proportion of the sector’s capital investment devoted to improving water quality, as the Committee has been advocating. The plan must look to prioritise the locations most susceptible to damaging overflows, as well as those where improvement can assist most in achieving nutrient neutrality in sensitive catchments.
“In our report, we called for two bathing water quality areas to be designated per water company per year over the next five year pricing period (2025-2029). The ambition outlined in today’s plan accepts this challenge – aiming to designate up to 100 locations – and I hope water and sewerage companies succeed in raising the water quality in those locations to bathing water standard as rapidly as possible.
“People are quite rightly sick and tired of the repeated reports of sewage flowing into our rivers and seas, and we must put a stop to it. Today’s initiatives, if delivered fully, could go a long way to addressing these understandable concerns and returning the country’s precious waterways to good health.”
